Many of us on the West Shore cheered loudly when one of our neighboring arenas was chosen winner of the 2015 Kraft Hockeyville online competition.
While we believe North Saanich’s Panorama Recreation Centre will do its community and the region proud when it comes to hosting an NHL pre-season game and putting the $100,000 prize to good use, the West Shore also has a fantastic opportunity to show the region how great a job it can do in hosting an international event.
Langford welcomes the world April 18 and 19 when the Canada Women’s Sevens rugby tournament takes over Westhills Stadium. This event, one of the last three qualifiers for the 2016 Rio Olympics, promises the most exciting and fast-paced rugby action seen here since the America’s Rugby Championship came to Westhills last fall.
Canada, which finished third in the first three qualifiers, sits tied for second overall with Australia, behind series leader New Zealand. With a good showing on their home turf, the women in red and white can virtually clinch a spot in next year’s Summer Games, the first Olympics to host rugby sevens.
A loud, packed house will no doubt give our Canadian women the boost they need to get the job done.
From a hosting perspective, teams and players representing countries from Australia and Brazil to China and Russia will descend upon the Capital Region in the days before the tournament. As such, local residents and merchants have a chance to showcase the West Shore for these international guests and are encouraged to lay out the welcome mat.
While voting with a mouse click can produce great results, as we’ve seen with the Hockeyville campaign, West Shore residents can vote with their feet and come out to support Langford-based Team Canada.
Let’s show our pride in our region, our country and our national team and make this event one to remember and build on.
Go Canada go!